VERMILLION — Two months after an entertaining regular-season meeting, Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy and Elkton-Lake Benton will face off in the Class 9AA state championship. 

The No. 1 Phoenix (11-0) will play the No. 2 Elks (10-1) at 7 p.m., on Thursday at the DakotaDome. 

The teams squared off on Sept. 5 in Freeman, a 42-28 Phoenix victory. The Phoenix and Elks traded touchdowns before FMFA pulled away for the two-touchdown victory. 

The teams are nearly identical in their offensive and defensive averages. The Phoenix average 48.1 points per game, and allow just 9.2 points per game on defense. The Elks score 45.5 points per game, while they allow just 12.8 points per game. 

The programs are both powered by a pair of dynamic quarterbacks in FMFA’s Riley Tschetter and ELB’s Colt Beck. Tschetter accounted for six total touchdowns in FMFA’s 45-12 semifinal win over Hamlin in the semifinals.

Tschetter passed for 193 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for 122 yards and two more scores. David Walter, a 6-foot-4 sophomore wide receiver, hauled in three of Tschetter’s touchdowns receptions and had 73 yards receiving. 

After ELB’s setback against FMFA, the Elks have rattled off eight straight wins and outlasted Parkston (14-8) in the semifinals on Nov. 7. Beck was held in check against the Trojans, but his two touchdown runs of 85 and one yards were enough to lift the Elks to the state title. 

It will be the first-ever DakotaDome appearances for both co-ops. The Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy football co-op is in its fourth year of existence, and is making the DakotaDome in its final season of existence. The co-op will break apart next season as Marion is co-oping with Parker in all sports. Freeman’s last DakotaDome trips were part of the Canistota/Freeman football co-op in 2018, ‘19, ‘20 and ‘21. 

The Elkton-Lake Benton football co-op has never qualified for a state football championship. Elkton advanced to the state championship in 2006, a 26-8 loss to Parker.